Setting your make up

[mar5195]

So right now that Spring and Summer are approaching I wear a Laura Mercier Tinted moisturizer. It evens out my complexion nicely but the problem is by the end of the day it looks like it's gone.

Should I be using a powder to set the tinted moisturizer with or should I just start using regular foundation for the all day look? I keep hearing that you should set your make up w/powder but I'd always been under the impression it's only best for oily skin.

My routine is
Aveno moisturizer
Eye cream for my lovely bags
MAC Strobe cream (if I need a glow)
LM concealer
LM tinted moisturizer

What do you do for that all day look?

[Shapsgrl]

Good question! I have one too.

I use LM oil free tinted moisturizer. I'm not sure if I am extra oily, or what, but when I wear it I feel like I have pools of tinted oil on my skin within a few hours. Would powder or anything help this, or is it the LM that is causing this oily-feeling mess on my face?

[mar5195]

How do you apply it? I use to use sponges but I thought it was sort of wasteful. Now I use my fingers and it feels less oily. I guess the best way I could describe it was that my face felt really wet, like it didn't dry fast enough. But now with the new way I don't have that issue.

[Shapsgrl]

with my fingers, like a regular moisturizer. I have crap skin (as you know) so who knows. It may just not work for me.

[am_81]

RE: "setting" your makeup. I hate powders myself and wont use them. I sometimes use a primer (Smashbox PhotoFinsh (http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P9889&categoryId=C10905)) as an in-between layer (after mositurizer/eye cream, but before adding tinted mositurizer/foundation). The primer fills in the lines in your face and makes the face kind of a blank canvas for the foundation to adhere to. It also helps your foundation glide on evenly and in turn, you shouldnt have to use as much foundation as you normally would. I find that when I use the primer, my makeup stays in place much longer than it usually does without.

As for the oily-ness question . . . . it may feel wasteful using sponges, but that is probably what you should do (espeically if you are already putting on a regular moisturizer first). By applying and rubbing in foundation/tinted moisturizer on your face with your fingers, the oil from your fingers transfer on to your face. I apply my tinted moisturizer the same way I do foundation -- I usually use my fingers to dab spots on my face only and then use the sponge to smooth out from there. YMMV of course, but it works really well on my (combination) skin.

[cosmic]

I use the LM Tinted Moisturizer as well. I dot it on and apply it with my fingers. Sponges leave too much of the moisturizer on my face- plus they're germ traps. I'd definitely use a light dusting powder on top of it if it needed help "setting". You might also want to knock out the Aveno moisturizer, unless you feel like you need the extra moisturizing. You don't want a lot of product between your skin and the tinted moisturizer. I was always told that the better something adheres to the skin, the longer it will last. HTH!

[mar5195]

Thanks girls.

I'm going to the LM counter tonight. I'm hoping they'll kick me down with a sample of their foundation (I'm thinking that might be my best bet) and I'll pick the girls brain over whether powder is going to do it for me.

My skin is hella dry so I need my Aveeno, but maybe I'll wear it before bed and then after I shower just do the LM tinted moisturizer.

[VASLP]

I use this http://www.maccosmetics.com/templates/products/sp.tmpl?CATEGORY_ID=CATEGORY15084&PRODUCT_ID=PROD6578 brush for all my foundations and moisturizers (I have a couple of them obviously :rolleyes:). It only picks up a little of the color and just whisps it on lightly so I don't have that heavy or wet feeling.